Serie A's bottom club Monza will try to spark an unlikely escape from relegation on Sunday, when they face mid-table Torino.
While the Brianzoli were beaten again last weekend, Toro tamed AC Milan and improved their prospects of a top-half finish.
Match preview
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Becoming the latest victims of Roma's revival, Monza conceded twice in each half at Stadio Olimpico last time out, leaving them nine points shy of safety.
Alessandro Nesta's return to the dugout - after a dismal spell under Salvatore Bocchetti - has yet to produce a significant change of fortunes, so it will require a minor miracle to stay afloat.
The Brianzoli have accrued just 14 points this season, and - adjusting for three points per game - only one of 25 teams with that tally or fewer after 26 Serie A matches has ever managed to avoid relegation.
With a dozen games to go, Monza are aiming to replicate Crotone's great escape of eight years ago, but there has been little evidence to back such hopes.
Averaging under one goal per game this season, they have not scored in either of their last two home fixtures, having sold main marksman Milan Djuric - who was far from prolific - to direct rivals Parma.
Monza's first-ever Serie A match was against Torino in August 2022, and they have yet to win any of the teams' five top-flight meetings - a sixth failure on Sunday could see them effectively cut adrift.
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While their hosts may be Serie B-bound, Torino have recently turned a corner and are in the hunt for a top-10 finish.
A week after seeing their unbeaten run since the start of 2025 finally ended by Bologna, the Granata conquered once-mighty Milan, with Gvidas Gineitis netting the winner in a 2-1 success.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic also helped by saving Christian Pulisic's first-half penalty, and Toro's Serbian stopper has kept out the most spot-kicks in Europe's top five leagues this season - four out of five faced so far.
As a result of that victory, Paolo Vanoli's side could now record back-to-back league wins for the first time since August, as they visit a team with just one home triumph this term.
After losing only one of their last nine matches, Torino will surely expect to do so, potentially closing a five-point gap to 10th-placed Udinese.
Team News
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Monza still have a long injury list, featuring Gianluca Caprari, Stefano Sensi, Roberto Gagliardini, Andrea Carboni, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Luca Caldirola.
However, Omari Forson, Samuele Birindelli, Gaetano Castrovilli and captain Matteo Pessina are now available, and Armando Izzo is back in the fold after being sidelined by suspension.
Set to support Silvere Ganvoula or Keita Balde up front, Dany Mota has been waiting since October for a league goal. Since Monza made their Serie A debut in 2022, Mota has been their top scorer (13) - starting by netting the club's first top-flight strike, against Torino - but he has been struggling for several months now.
Meanwhile, Torino's attack should be led by either Antonio Sanabria or Scottish striker Che Adams - the latter was rested last week but could now return.
Though experienced defender Adam Masina is available after serving a one-match ban, Adrien Tameze and Alieu Njie are still in Toro's treatment room, alongside long-term absentees Perr Schuurs and Duvan Zapata.
Having made an impact since signing in the winter transfer window, Cesare Casadei and Eljif Elmas are likely to start again.
Monza possible starting lineup:
Turati; D'Ambrosio, Izzo, Palacios; Pereira, Urbanski, Bianco, Kyriakopoulos; Ciurria, Mota; Ganvoula
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Maripan, Coco, Biraghi; Ricci, Casadei; Lazaro, Vlasic, Elmas; Adams
We say: Monza 0-1 Torino
Monza have registered fewer touches in the opposition box than any other side in Serie A this season, while Torino rank 17th.
It could be a cagey encounter, then, with the injury-hit hosts hoping to grimly grind out at least one point; however, Toro have recruited well and should have too much quality.
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Jonathan O'Shea
